Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-10-28
FARM NOTES.

The American Garden says bubach
powder blown into ant hills with strong
bellows will kill or drive away the in
sects.
In their native hills it is said that the
Cheviot sheep are excelled by none.
They are as large as the CottswoIds, while
the mutton is considered better and the
fleece finer and closer. On good pasture
the fleece grows finer and sells for a higl-
er price than when the animals are fed
on coarse grass.
The ideal soil in which to set plant is
one that is moist without being watsr-
soaked, neither too dry or too wet. In
such soil even poor plant will take root.
The plant will make its own root just as
cutting does. For setting il dry soil the
plant should be we'll rooted and stocky,
as it must depend on the roots it already
has for start.
The Middleton On. " Argus says a
swarm of bees for year made home in
the piazza of residence there, and on in
vestigation it was discovered that the
bees had found q way of getting under
the floor of one of the bedrooms. and if
ty pounds of honey and a quantity of
brood comb were taken from between two
OF the nOor beams.
Nothing is more easily grown than
grapevine. 1t will almost take care of it
self, If you will give it reasonable
chance; and then, having been trimmed
on very simple principles for three years,
you can let it run over a tree, a shed, a
barn or trellis. Keep its feet clean of
weeds, and well shod with ashes and ma
nure, and you will have enough to eat.
On the subject of washing wool the
Wool Journal says more than nine-tenths
of the domestic clip now comes to market
unwashed. The quotations are mostly
made for unwashed wool. Shrinkages are
more accurately estimated on wool in its
natural state than when it has been wash-
ed. There is no uniform standard among
growers as to how much or how little it
shall be washed. So it happens that
| miscellaneous lot of washed wool $50
called), collected IN any of the sections
where the old practice OF sheep washing
still prevails, varies SO widely III condition
| that anything like correct estimate of
| the shrinkage of the entire lot is impossi-
BILE. 1t Is little better than guessing to
buy such lot at a stated price per
pound. The well washed wool generally
sells the half washed lots.
George T. Robbins says in the Bee
Journal that it is safe to say that bees
never fight except in case one party has
reason to regard the others as robbers OF
trespassers. The entire secret of uniting
successfully is to do it at time or under
circumstances when that will not occur.
| never could unite two colonies safely at
a time when bees are flying. Each party
takes the others to be intruders, and they
will fight to the death. Bat on a cool or
cloudy day, or in early moi ming or late
evening-any time when bees remain
quietly at home-I may unite them il
any way l desire. The fact that no bees
are fying-that it is no time to be out
seems to preclude the idea that either
| party can be intruders.
Washington Territory, WaUa WalIa
valley, think we have the most delight
full country the sun ever shown on. Our
summers are seldom too warm for com
fort, and our winters last but two or
three weeks. We pillow up to Christmas
and commence again in February. Fruit
is abundant. Our wheat, oats, corn and
barley cant be beat for yield. The aver
age wheat crop is 20 to 80 Blu. per acre,
with other grain accordingly, and still we
have plenty of outside range for horses
and cattle. AS in all other new countries,
there are always those who get discour-
aged. They come with small capital,
spend it all in improving wild land and
have nothing to go on with, and then sell
out at a sacrifice. Four or five hundred
dollars will buy well improved place
heIe. Get five or six families to come
and settle here, and grow up with our
beautiful Western valley. My nearest
neighbor is three miles away.